Key Highlights

  • Estimated sales are about 150,000 units across Steam, PlayStation and Xbox since the 10 September 2026 launch.
  • Net Revenue to PlaySide is estimated at about US$0.6m (A$0.9m), ahead of internal forecasts.
  • Steam wishlists more than doubled, and total net wishlists exceed 260,000.
  • The figures are management estimates, and early launch data may not predict future sales.

PlaySide Studios Limited (ASX:PLY) has provided a market update on Dumb Ways to Build, its first PC and console title based on the Dumb Ways to Die intellectual property. The game launched on 10 September 2026 on Steam, PlayStation and Xbox with full cross-play, and the company has reported estimated sales, revenue, wishlist and engagement data for its first weeks.

Sales and Revenue

The company estimates sales of about 150,000 units across all platforms, including sales through co-operative game bundles on Steam alongside other titles. Steam accounts for about two-thirds of units and PlayStation and Xbox for about one-third. Gross sales are estimated at about US$1.0 million (A$1.4 million). Net revenue to PlaySide, which is reported revenue after platform fees, VAT and returns, is estimated at about US$0.6 million (A$0.9 million), or roughly 60% of gross sales, and the company says this is ahead of internal forecasts. The announcement does not give the internal forecast or the development cost of the game, so the revenue cannot be compared with the Investment made.

Wishlists and Player Reception

The title entered launch with about 100,000 Steam wishlists generated by a pre-launch campaign of less than one month. More than 80% of Steam purchases came from players who had not wishlisted the game, which the company links to organic discovery. Since launch, Steam wishlists have more than doubled, and total net wishlists across Steam, PlayStation and Xbox exceed 260,000. The game holds a Very Positive rating on Steam with an 87% review score, 4.8 out of 5 on the Xbox Store and 4.6 out of 5 on the PlayStation Store.

Concurrent players peaked at more than 1,600 on Steam in the launch weekend. Engagement has since settled into a consistent pattern with pronounced weekend peaks, which reflects group play. The announcement does not give the current concurrent player count.

Marketing Reach and Roadmap

The Dumb Ways Brand has more than 11 million followers across its social channels. Brand channels organically drove more than 4 million views for the game, equal to over 10% of global video coverage around the release, and brand and creator channels together drove more than 36 million views. The game peaked at over 57,000 concurrent Twitch viewers and appeared in content from more than 2,600 creators.

PlaySide has already delivered new in-game items and quality-of-life improvements. The near-term roadmap includes new levels, expansion of online multiplayer beyond the current four-player limit and user-generated content support. The company says the game was built using existing Dumb Ways assets, allowing a rapid path to market. Chief Executive Benn Skender said the company is confident the game will continue to sell through the financial year.

Data Limitations

The data are management's best estimate as at 7:00am AEDT on 6 October 2026. Each platform provider updates unit sales at different intervals, so final reconciled figures may vary. The company states that early-stage launch data may not be indicative of future sales performance, revenue trajectory or the title's full lifecycle performance.

What the Launch Data Shows

The first weeks show revenue above the company's own forecast and a growing wishlist base, while the figures remain estimates for a short period after launch. Sales through the rest of the financial year, the effect of post-launch content and the rate at which wishlists convert to purchases will show how the title performs over its full life.